Chapter 30 : My gut is telling me that

Lena grabbed the sword and swung it around.
The name floated above it:
[Asclif’s Lost Glory]
Why does a sword have a name like this? she thought, not for the first time.
It felt like there had to be some unimaginable identity, some strange origin story behind it.

“Have you ever heard of Asclif?”

“Asclif, the most historically renowned ducal family in the Empire. Why do you ask? No, Lena, how do you know that name?”

“Uh, I just vaguely remember hearing it somewhere.”
So it was real.
Lena hastily erased the information she’d just heard from her memory.
I don’t know, I didn’t hear anything.
This is mine. A butcher knife I found in a cave.
Since it was left abandoned in the Dragon Lair, it couldn’t have been lost just a year or two ago.
Who would know if she played dumb?
More importantly, swordsmanship.
I’m learning from a knight, so once I learn this, I’ll be a knight too!
That was absurd.
One didn’t become a knight by self-proclamation but had to be appointed by a noble.
Regardless, Lena learned swordsmanship from Celine until the morning sun rose.

[Basic Swordsmanship (Lv.1) has been acquired!]
[The influence of Knight’s Destiny and Dexterity (Lv. Max) is manifested!]
[The level of Basic Swordsmanship rapidly increases!]
[Basic Swordsmanship (Lv.1) changes to Basic Swordsmanship (Lv. Max)!]
[Skill lock status is released!]
[Draconis Family Swordsmanship (Lv.1) can now be used!]

The party’s journey proceeded smoothly.
Lena felt excited for the first time in a long while.
It wasn’t that Lena didn’t know how to play alone, but doing things with others had a different flavor.
No monsters, just leisurely strolling while admiring the scenery… this is the life of an immortal.
But why aren’t the monsters attacking?
It was indeed puzzling.
Were monsters creatures that operated on common sense?
What good was instinctively recognizing the strong? Their habit was to attack indiscriminately the moment they felt hungry, unable to tell friend from foe.
Yet, it was this peaceful.

The reason was the aura of a ruler-class monster emanating from Lena’s body.
Even the most sensitive human is dull compared to an animal.
And monsters were a breed even more sensitive than animals.
If a ruler-class monster intentionally concealed its aura, humans couldn’t distinguish whether it was an ordinary monster or a ruler-class one.
Monsters could tell.
The desire for survival, the instinct inherent in the monster species, warned them.
Therefore, the monsters merely kept Lena in sight, warily circling, but dared not approach closely.

Anyway, thanks to that, the search for the area where the compass worked went smoothly.
Using the place where Python died as a base, they moved forward.
If it seemed wrong, they returned and proceeded in a different direction, repeating the process.
It was repetitive labor, but this method was the most reliable.
She had waited years for a rescue team.
Finally able to escape this cursed forest, repetitive labor was nothing.
It would be tough, but she could get out eventually.
The vague hope now shimmering right before her eyes gave Lena even more strength.

If only she had realized a little earlier that Badugi could track scents, they could’ve saved much more time.
Badugi is a dog (not really).
Dogs have a good sense of smell, right?
Since Celine got lost nearby, couldn’t they just follow her scent?
She commanded Badugi based on that simple association, and it worked.
Lena scolded Badugi for not suggesting the idea earlier.
Badugi whined, pleading his innocence.
What idea could an animal have?
If I did what I was told correctly, shouldn’t I get praise?
How much time had passed since Celine entered the Great Forest?
It was Badugi who was amazing for picking up the faint, almost dissipated scent.

[Escape]
You have decided to begin your journey anew.
To do so, you must first escape this accursed forest.
However, escaping the Great Forest is no easy task.
To avoid getting lost, under a careful plan…

Reward: Growth Points…

How long had they been moving like that?
Suddenly, a system message obscured Lena’s vision.
Lena had a hunch.

“Big Sis, take out the compass and check.”

“Okay.”
Just as expected.
The compass worked normally.
Lena grinned.
This status window really is helpful sometimes.
Now that direction could be confirmed, there were no more obstacles ahead.
Escape!
Go to the village! Meet people! See the medieval era! I am free!
Lena pushed through the dense thicket.
A completely different scenery unfolded afterward.
A village with a pastoral landscape, smoke rising from chimneys; a fortress where soldiers maintained strict guard; a bustling city frequented by merchants and travelers.

“?”
None of that was visible.
Outside the Great Forest was just a barren wasteland.

Mana is the fundamental element of creation.
As proof, in places with high Mana concentration, the land becomes fertile, yielding abundant harvests, and the probability of children with extraordinary talents being born increases.
The downside was the prevalence of beasts and the proliferation of monsters.
But in reality, they too were part of Mother Nature.
This was a natural phenomenon.
And when one side fills, the other inevitably empties.
It was part of the moderation spoken of in Eastern philosophy, the wondrous cosmic balance.
Thus, where there is a region with high Mana concentration, the surrounding area naturally becomes thinner.

The Great Forest was a place with an incredibly high Mana concentration, almost unique on the entire continent.
It was so dense that Mana, an element that merely exists without will, caused abnormal phenomena.
Drawing in the surrounding Mana with an attraction almost like a black hole, the Mana concentration around the Great Forest was close to zero.
In other words, it was a wasteland where not even a blade of grass could easily grow.
And wastelands are difficult places for people to live.
Even nomadic slash-and-burn farmers need arable land to settle.
If you plant crops, they wither and die even if you pour bags of fertilizer, making the vicinity of the Great Forest unfit for human habitation.
It might’ve been different if minerals were discovered in the ground.
Humans were more obsessed with shiny things than crows.
Even that was absent.
The Empire’s land surveyors, accompanied by Mage Tower mages, had reportedly found nothing but rocks and dirt.
Therefore, the area near the Great Forest was truly land with no economic value.
Considering the added risk of potential monster overflows, the Great Forest and its vicinity were completely neglected lands.

The above was Celine’s explanation for why it was a barren wasteland outside the Great Forest.

“I see.”
Lena’s voice lacked soul as she played along.
To Lena, it sounded like vague rambling about Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, or favorable geographical features.
Rather than trying to understand, she simply accepted it as the setting of this world.
Even this was a concession made in consideration of Celine’s efforts in chattering on.
Lena was the type to mash the skip button when games explained their world-building.
Most busy modern people were like that.
If Celine hadn’t explained it, Lena would’ve let it go in one ear and out the other.

“So, where should we go?”

“Well…”
Celine’s complexion clouded over.
Even though she frowned, wrinkling her brow, and her large eyes narrowed, her original beauty made it look picturesque in its own way.
If she looked down on me like she was looking at a bug, cursed, and trampled on me… wow…
She probably wouldn’t.
With a personality like that, she’s likely never said a bad or harsh word to anyone.
Forcing her to do it has its own perverse appeal, but it’s not like I’d be the one forcing her.

“For now, it’s better to set up camp here and wait.”

“Why? We can move right away. Unless you were kidnapped, you walked here on your own two feet, right? If we go back the way you remember, we should find the village.”

“It’s not as simple as it sounds.”
It was a barren wasteland.
The only people who came and went were a small number from the Red Rose Knights.
Therefore, no roads were paved.
Existing knights might find their way by checking directions or remembering distinctive landmarks, but Celine was a rookie.
She had merely followed the senior knight leading the group; finding the right path in this vast wasteland was like finding a needle in a haystack for her.

“What about a map? A compass and a map are a set, right? Let’s use that.”

“What are you talking about?”
Maps were strategic assets.
It was different from the modern era where you grab one from a tourist information center, glance at it, and toss it in the trash.
They were treated as precious items, carefully stored by high-ranking officials and only brought out during wartime or for managing territories.
There was no way they’d distribute one to a mere rookie knight.

“Then what? Whether before escaping the Great Forest or now, we’re still stranded just the same.”
Way to kill the mood.
Lena let out a sigh.

[‘Escape’ Complete!]
[Reward will be given!]
[Chain Quest ‘Restarting the Journey’ has been generated!]

[Restarting the Journey]
A world of romance and dreams!
After a long wandering, you have once again set foot on the path!
Set a destination…

Somehow, the status window message felt long for an escape celebration.
So it was trying to remind me it’s not over yet.

“You don’t need to be too disappointed. A rescue team will come if we wait.”

“Rescue team?”

“The Knight Order patrols periodically. They’ll find us if we wait.”

“What’s the patrol cycle?”

“Was it a month? I think I remember it being around that long.”

“So if the patrol just ended yesterday, we have to wait a whole month?”

“We wouldn’t be that unlucky, would we?”

“That’s just wishful thinking.”
Even Lena didn’t think they’d be that unlucky.
But whether waiting a month or a fortnight, it was ridiculously long either way.
What was there to see in a wasteland?
Sitting still, just eating, pooping, and sleeping repeatedly was the perfect recipe for developing mental illness.
Above all, it was hard to ignore the pounding in her chest.

“This won’t do.”
Lena stood up abruptly.
Celine had suggested going to the Knight Order together first.
Firstly, she needed to report her return; secondly, since the Great Forest was under the Knight Order’s jurisdiction, explaining the situation might get them help.
But was it absolutely necessary to head to the Knight Order?
Lena would be happy just mingling with people, even if it was in a slash-and-burn village.
This is outside the Great Forest, right?
If we just walk straight in any direction, won’t we find traces of people?

“Just follow me.”

“Wait, how long do you think it will take? It’s better to wait patiently…”

“There are people this way.”

“How can you be so sure…”

“My gut tells me so.”
[Survival Instinct (Lv. Max) is activated!]
She had never suffered a loss by following this gut feeling when in trouble.
Lena ignored the protests and moved forward.

And so, ten days passed.